On Sunday July 26, 2015, Five Rivers Conservation Trust will host its third annual Merrimack River Paddle trip from Boscawen to Concord. The trip will provide a new perspective of the Merrimack River. Discounted canoe and Kayak rentals will be available at Quickwater Canoe and Kayak and free shuttles between the put in and take out will be provided. Participants must pre-register for the trip (info@5rct.org or 225-7225) and make necessary rental arrangements (753-0025, www.quickwatercanoe.com) by Wednesday July 22. Event Sponsors are Revision Energy, Merrimack County Savings Bank, Quickwater Canoe and Kayak, the Rowley Agency and Concord 250.

“A paddle trip down the Merrimack River provides a new perspective of our landscape – silver maples leaning in from the shore, church steeples seen from below the river banks and fertile farm fields. Past participants remarked that this trip opened their eyes to a whole new view of the place they’ve lived for decades,” says Beth McGuinn, Executive Director for Five Rivers Conservation Trust.

From 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, paddlers can launch their boat at the County Farm boat launch in Boscawen and paddle 10 miles down the Merrimack to the Quickwater take-out, on the Canterbury / Concord town line. At 12:30 pm, a naturalist will launch with anyone who would like to learn more about the natural history of the river and surrounding area. The trip will take 3-4 hours of paddling, floating and splashing, so participants should bring lots of water, snacks and sunscreen. At take out, light refreshments will be provided.

Paddlers can bring their own boat, life jacket and paddles or rent equipment from Quickwater (753-0025, www.quickwatercanoe.com) by Wednesday July 22. Each paddler is responsible for making their rental arrangements. Quickwater will provide a free shuttle to transport participants back to their cars at the end of the day, simplifying logistics for the trip.

Pre-registration is required for all participants by Wednesday July 22 (info@5rct.org or 225-7225). The event is free, but contributions to Five Rivers will be gratefully accepted. T-shirts and caps will be available for sale.

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Five Rivers Conservation Trust, headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire, is a nonprofit membership supported organization dedicated to protecting special places across the heartland of central New Hampshire. This beautiful rolling landscape is drained by five waterways that converge in the Concord area - the Merrimack, Contoocook, Blackwater, Warner, and Soucook Rivers. It is a region of picturesque country villages and a delightful mix of fields and forests, farms and wetlands, and other open spaces. Five Rivers is an active land trust conserving special places for future generations in seventeen central NH towns.